RFC2795's RC2014 Modular Computer Gets a Cray-1-Inspired Flex PCB Backplane, 3D-Printed Stand

RFC2795's Spencer Owen has built an RC2014 computer system with a difference: The modules are installed on a curved backplane, inspired by the Cray-1 supercomputer and built using OSH Park's Flex PCB service.

The Cray-1 supercomputer was an iconic design, placing the hardware in a semicircle with raised 'seating' hiding power supplies and connections to underfloor cooling pipes. The RC2014, by contrast, is a Z80-based retro-style modular computer system — but Owen's design combines the two into an attractive yet still functional build.

"Probably the smallest 12 slot RC2014 backplane ever," Owen wrote of the core design — the size being shrunk owing to requiring less room for the hardware modules, as the board itself curves into a semicircle just like the Cray-1. An OpenSCAD-designed, 3D-printed cap holds everything in place, while a decorative stand mimics the seating area of the original Cray-1 system.

The backplane aside, the computer itself is an off-the-shelf RC2014 Zed computer with a range of optional input/output modules attached. While Owen sells the RC2014 Zed on Tindie, however, he has not yet indicated whether the flex-based backplane will be making the jump to a commercial product.